Zombies

Word of Mouth

5:37 pm

Fri October 31, 2014

When it comes to rigid safeguards against the Ebola virus, New York’s governor says “Better safe than sorry”. But what happens when panic inflates the price of public safety? On today’s show, calculating the cost of over-reaction.

We’ll also explore how the power of sound can make or break an experience. When the ad agency for Royal Caribbean chose a lively, catchy tune for a series of commercials for the cruise line, it didn’t exactly match the wholesome, fun loving image they were trying to promote.

Then, we’ll speak with the Israeli musician known as Kutiman, about crafting an album made entirely of unrelated sound samples from YouTube videos.

Word of Mouth

2:12 pm

Thu October 30, 2014

In 1934, a weather observer stationed at the peak of Mount Washington recorded a, then record, wind gust of 231 miles per hour. As a point of reference, that’s in the same neighborhood as an F5 tornado.

Even on hot summer day, conditions at the peak can drop below freezing in a matter of minutes – which is just one reason more than 135 people have died in the shadow of Mount Washington since 1859.

And yet, Mount Washington isn’t just Home of the World’s Worst Weather--as a sign at the summit famously boasts--it’s also home to a weather station, where a team of researchers are able to safely live year-round.

Which begs the question: would the Mount Washington Observatory be the perfect place to survive a zombie apocalypse?

When it comes to rigid safeguards against the Ebola virus, New York’s governor says “Better safe than sorry”. But what happens when panic inflates the price of public safety? On today’s show, calculating the cost of over-reaction.

Then, comedian Dana Gould, writer for The Simpsons and a B horror movie aficionado, shares his picks for the best Halloween schlock, including the Vincent Price vehicle, The House on Haunted Hill.

Word of Mouth

3:18 pm

Tue January 28, 2014

Reptiles are not the only source of poison in the real and imagined universe. Fascination with administering deadly serums, gases, and even fungi has infected pop culture, from episodes of science fiction drama to comedy classics and beyond. It affects alien and human alike in Doctor Who, awaits unleashing from a vial in The Princess Bride, and its natural effects on ants are documented by BBC's Planet Earth. Whether your poison is light-hearted, clever, or downright deadly, there's something for you here. Just don't bother with the antidote; this post is abound with enough poison to keep you captivated.

Word of Mouth

9:45 am

Tue October 23, 2012

Recently, the small town of New Boston, New Hampshire hosted an unusual 5k race, in which runners were chased by zombies or “walkers,” as they’re called in the popular comic book and TV series “The Walking Dead.” But fear not, all the gore was for a good cause, as independent producer Adam McCune found out when he sent us this audio postcard.

Word of Mouth

10:20 am

Wed October 3, 2012

Since 2006, Colony Collapse Disorder has drastically reduced honey bee populations across North America. In California, there’s another emerging threat to the hive that’s straight out of a B-horror film (see what we did there?), a parasite that’s turning honey bees into mindless automatons, or as they’re being called by some, “zom-bees."

The new iPhone app called "Zombies, RUN!" is not your standard running game.

It's designed to encourage folks, such as say, video gamers, who aren't usually associated with exercise to take up running.

British writer Naomi Alderman, who is a gamer herself as well as an Orange-award winning novelist, came up with the idea for "Zombies, RUN!" while in a class for amateur runners she tells weekends on All Things Considered guest host Mary-Louise Kelly.